Opus 270, “Steeplechase II”

To understand the underlying meaning of this subject vis-à-vis the work’s title, it is most helpful to know that it refers to Nashville’s Iroquois Steeplechase, the annual event where ladies’ hat designs are big, bold, and (quite often) extravagant. To Cano, this represents a challenge for portrait likenesses, of hats more than individual faces. A certain anonymity and mystery attend such works. Here is a British-style “event hat” which takes precedence over the young, half-obscured female wearer. The color of her hat fits the bright pastels of a spring outfit—and yet the striking combination of her black dress, dark flowers above, and deep shadows across the face makes for a haunting presence which Cano leaves in our power to interpret.